Alumni Accomplishments

The BA, BFA, MA and MFA students that have graduated from the Bowling
Green State University School of Art are amazingly accomplished and
are leaders in art-related fields around the world. Many alumni have
gone on to become educators in academic and community-based art
environments. Others have become internationally recognized artists
and art historians, and others have go on to become industry
specialists and contribute to our visual world.

We encourage you to submit information concerning BGSU School of
Art alumni. If you would like to report a change to an entry or have
updated information, please send the information to:
jodirs@bgsu.edu.

Michelle Weber (Dufrane) Fibers, BFA 2007
After graduating from Bowling Green, Michelle got married and moved to Montana where she works for numerous art programs in the city of Missoula. She teaches classes at a trendy fabric shop and teaches for an after school art program.

Thomas 'Ike' Greenwood Drawing, BFA 2006
In the summer of 2007, Thomas was interviewed for a front page article in his city's paper - The Marion Star. The article features his current series of drawings that will be presented at the Richwood Independent Fair in Richwood, Ohio during September.

Laura Tawil Painting, BFA 1995
Laura (Ursem) Tawil Renews National Board Certification in the area of Visual Art for Early Adolescent through Young Adulthood.
Laura earned her national boards' in 2002, and has successfully completed the renewal process this spring. Laura currently teaches art at Firelands High School in rural Lorain County.

Mary Cabrera Art History, BA 2008
Mary Cabrera was awarded the Harry Frankenthaler Fellowship for Academic Achievement from BGSU. She will use the award money to travel to Florence, Italy and study art history with Dr. Allie Terry at SACI during the late spring term 2008.

Jonathan Fardy Art History, MA 2008
Jonathan Fardy is currently a fully funded doctoral student (ABD) at The Centre for the Study of Theory and Criticism, The University of Western Ontario. From late June through July of 2011, he attended the annual School of Theory and Criticism hosted by Cornell University on a full scholarship. His first published article, a review of Jean Baudrillard's Forget Foucault, is forthcoming from the Journal of Foucault Studies.

Collin Mapp Digital Arts, MFA 2011
Collin Mapp had his new film, Pretty, selected for the 7th annual Chicago International REEL Shorts Fest. Pretty is a music video for the band, Eyes Lips Eyes. Pretty was screened September 16-19th, 2011 in Chicago. You can see Collin's film on his youTube channel.

Sebastien Dion Ceramics, MFA 2007
Currently works for Apple in Toronto, Canada.
Co-inventor, co-writer and graduate research assistant to the "Durable Ceramic Output for the Rapid Prototyping Process" Technology Innovation Enhancement Grant funded by the Third Frontier Fund of Ohio. This invention is currently “patent pending.”

Adrianne DeVille Imaging, BFA 2007
Received MA in Art Education from Case Western Reserve University in Spring 2008.
Digital work displayed at 2010 "Snap to Grid" competition at LACDA.
Currently employed as Print and Television Production Coordinator for Wendy's International in Columbus, Ohio.

Amy Seawick Animation, BFA 2006
Worked as an intern at Pacific data Images (PDI)/Dreamworks in the summer of 2005. PDI is an animation company in California that produced “Antz,” “Shrek,” “Shark Tale,” and “Simpson's Halloween Special and CyberWorld.”

Jessica CanterDigital Arts, BFA 2005
Working at DreamWorks Animation as a surfacing artist. Movies include, Kung Fu Panda, Monster vs Aliens, Shrek 4, Kung Fu Panda 2, The Croods, and Turbo. Received her MFA in 2006 from the Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, GA. Work as an online professor at the art institute. Was an intern at Disney Animation as a texture artist.

Andrew HughesInteractive Art, BFA 2005
Senior Accreditation Coordinator with the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, President/CEO of Designing Digitally Inc.
Instructor for the University of Cincinnati.
Instructor for the Art Institute of Ohio – Cincinnati.
Instructor for Miami Valley CTC.
Consultant for The Ohio Board of Regents.

Michelle Fiocca Interactive Art, BFA 2004
Now works/lives in Chicago, IL as a Web Designer at Orbit Media Studios, Inc.
MFA received 2006 School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL

Colin Hess Interactive Art, BFA 2004
Works for UVPhactory in NY as an animator and has created animations and promotional videos for Cimemax, General Electric, and MTV.
His work has been shown at ResFest in NY, The Amity Art Foundation and the Brooklyn International Film Festival.

Andy McGrath Interactive Art, BFA 2004
Works as a designer and programmer at CreativeMyndz in Ohio. CreativeMyndz produces educational DVDs and CDs.

Matthew Hancy Interactive Art, BFA 2003
Worked on the video games “Gears of War,” “Unreal Championship 2,” and “Unreal Tournament 3.” My primary role is Effects artist, and I also do High Poly modeling and Cinematic work. “Gears of War” won several awards including: Game of the Year, Best Graphic.

Nick Povovich Animation, BFA 2002
Worked at Castaway Entertainment (now Blizzard Entertainment) as a game designer in California. Castaway is the developer of “Diablo” and many other popular games.
Worked at Three Rings Design as a game designer in San Francisco, California.

Tina Bell Vance Interactive Art, MFA 2002
Works as a web support specialist at Cleveland State University in the Center for Teaching and Learning.
Juried shows: SIGGRAPH 2003 Art Gallery, San Diego, California.

Thomas Dauber Interactive Art, BFA 1998
Director of Advancement for the Ohio State University College of Pharmacy. Responsible for fundraising and alumni affairs as well as communications and marketing.

Andrew Phelps Animation / Video and Painting, BFA 1997
Professor and Chair, founded the department of Interactive Games & Media at the Rochester Institute of Technology, a department of 20+ faculty in the College of Computing and Information Sciences that explores media-centric computing.

Justin Winget Graphic Design, BFA 2003
Currently holds the position of Creative Design Director for Levy Innovations, the internal brand development arm of industry leading Levy Restaurants. With a portfolio that includes more than 100 Sports and Entertainment clients ranging from Wrigley Field to Lambeau Field, Churchill Downs, & Bristol Motor Speedway, Levy also has namesake restaurants at Walt Disney World, and our crown jewel, Spiaggia, is a favorite of both President Obama and Chicago'ans alike. As the Creative Design Director, Justin has lead a team of designers and creative strategists in developing and designing experiences for the Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Rock legend Rick Nielson's new restaurant, Nickelodeon Universe at the Mall of America, and the Harley Davidson Museum.

Diana Behl Graphic Design, BFA 2001
Taught drawing and printmaking as a visiting assistant professor at South Dakota State University in the 2005-06 academic year.
Exhibited at SDSU's Ritz Gallery in Spring 2006.

Thomas Gilmore Graphic Design, BFA 1992
Thomas Gilmore has accepted the role of Director of Brand Strategy with RGI Design, a retail marketing and branding agency located in Cincinnati, Ohio.
He is also a member of the Adjunct Faculty with the School of Fine Arts at Miami University.
Examples of his identity work were featured in LogoLounge 5.

Michael Frederick Graphic Design, BFA 1987
After working at The North Shore Group in Toledo, Ohio post-graduation, I migrated to the US Virgin Islands in 1991. I was Art/Creative Director at an agency from 1992-1995 when Hurricane Marilyn blew it all away. I then was Art/Creative Director at the largest agency on island for 5 years after which time I started my own business. I have been running my own creative shop since 1999. My local clients run the gamut from liquor distributors to music venues to beachside hotels. Carnival time (April-May) is a very busy time of year. All in all I owe a lot to the entire staff in the Art program in general, but thanks to the team of Jacomini & Duda for that extra creative kick in the ass.

Kathleen Montgomery Painting, BFA 1976
70th Anniversary Competition Pastel Semi-finalists, myAmericanArtist.com.
The Great Lakes Pastel Society Member's Show in the Community Gallery at the Toledo Museum of Art (September 28th through November 11th).

Chelsey RadabaughJewerly and Metals, BFA 2007
Participated in national competition, THE BEST OF 2006, sponsored by the Ohio Designer Craftsmen. The show opened in June at The Ohio Craft Museum in Columbus and traveled to two other locations.

Claas Kuhnen Jewerly and Metals, BFA 2006
Assistant Professor, Kendall College of Art and Design, Grand Rapids, Michigan, teaching jewelry and industrial design, 2007.
Had work included in 500 Metal Vessels, published by Lark Books, 2007.
Lecture on the Blender software at the 2008 Blender Conference in Kingsport, Tennessee.
Taught at University of Wisconsin-Stout, Memomonie, Wisconsin.
BlenderArt Magazine (published).
The Best of 2006, Ohio Designer Craftsmen (exhibition).

Andrea Lafferty Metals, BFA 2006
Participated in the Intercollegiate Metals Exhibition at Step Gallery, Arizona State University during fall semester, 2006. These undergraduates represented BGSU among 6 other university metals programs in the US.

Michael Carpenter Animation / Video, BFA 2001
For the past decade, I've been involved in a plethora of creative endeavors and have evolved as an artist. Initially focusing on my computer art skills, I worked on flash contract jobs in the Cleveland area, and assisted with aesthetic and interactive development of internal training systems and websites for companies such as Earnst and Young and Goodyear. After becoming restless with traditional desk jobs, I decided to move to Atlanta in 2002 to pursue more creative opportunities that combined my childhood passion of carpentry and masonry. I worked under a furniture refinisher and faux finisher for approximately two years, and thereafter started my own company, MDC interiors. Through MDC Interiors, I explore the basic principles of interior design by creating inventive and decorative elements. I work with the various techniques to apply textured surfaces, decorative trim, custom concrete, and original carpentry to create designs. Although I am not in a traditional computer art field, I have been able to use the skills from my computer art degree and continue to apply them to aspects of my company, from creating my own website to sketching blueprints of designs. I am beginning to incorporate my independent line of furniture, and hope to continue schooling in industrial design so I can heighten and incorporate the aspects of both technology and contemporary design.

WIll Gustwiller Jewerly and Metals, BFA 2001
Will Gustwiller, BFA 2001 and 3D Jewelry/Metals graduate, is the BGSU Recent Distinguished Graduate of 2008 and featured here on Youtube.
Will is the owner of Eclipse Chocolate, based in San Diego. He is using his art skills to make his business successful and is supplying all the better hotels and restaurants in Southern California.

Allison RoshPrintmaking, BFA 2013
Accepted to MFA program at University of Iowa, Iowa City

Zak Lyons2D, BFA 2013
Selected for inclusion in the 95th Toledo Area Artists Exhibition in November 2014 by Halona Norton-Westbrook, Mellon Fellow at the Toledo Museum of Art. Only 28 of the 462 artists who submitted portfolios were selected for inclusion in the exhibition. The artwork, “Goodbye Blue Skies,” was completed in a printmaking class under the direction of Professor Janet Ballweg. Zak’s work also won the $1000 Third Place award, as selected by Christopher Knight, art critic for the Los Angeles Times.

Ryan Rasmussen Drawing, BFA 2002
After graduation, Ryan Rasmussen used the skills he learned in the BGSU Fine Arts program to rethink branding and marketing innovation. From 2003 - 2007 his work consisted of developing new standards for social marketing and new product development with online influencers across blogs, forums, social media, and virtual worlds.
Traditional marketers and communications consultants took note, with much of his innovation chronicled in some pivotal marketing texts including "Word of Mouth Marketing - How Smart Companies Get People Talking" (Sernovitz 2006). In 2008, Ryan transitioned to the agency world of consulting to share the best practices and techniques he had pioneered on a much broader scale.
Ryan currently serves as Vice President & Director of Insights & Analytics at Zocalo Group, a word of mouth marketing agency based in Chicago. In addition to providing strategic marketing & creative counsel to domestic and international clients such as Dell, Unilever, Nissan, and Subway, Ryan developed a suite of industry award winning online and offline measurement tools, including the Recommendation Index, Earned Digital Engagements, and Digital Footprint Index - receiving awards from SNCR at Harvard (2009), Stanford (2010), and two SABRE awards for Measurement Innovation (2010) & Product of the Year (2011).
Ryan frequently speaks to academic, trade, and private audiences about social marketing, the role of innovation and creativity within an organization, and about technology Futures per his work with the Long Now Foundation. When asked about his unique path and the role that his BFA provided in shaping his career, Ryan credits BGSU and the Fine Arts Department with teaching him to see.
Ryan was accepted into the Kellogg MBA program.

Julianne Prenoveau Photography, BFA 2002
Graduate school at John F. Kennedy University in Berkeley, CA for Museum Studies and living in San Francisco.

Elizabeth Gauthier (Kissonergis)Drawing, BFA 2001
While at Bowling Green I was given an assignment to illustrate a children’s book in one of my drawing classes. Always interested in the idea of doing my own book I was intrigued by it. Little did I know that six years after getting my BFA the idea would become so embedded in me that I would begin my own publishing company, Gauthier Publications. I am now the Creative Director of Frog Legs Ink, our children’s division. In October of this year we released our first title Out of the Nursery, one of my own. We are set to release three more titles in the next few months and fifteen next year (one of which will be mine). I am very proud to say we print and bind everything in the USA and that we will soon have to do a second run of Out of the Nursery. If it wasn't for my classes at BGSU and the variety of skills I learned in the art department, from different drawing techniques to layout I wouldn't be where I am today.

Amie Oliver 2D Studies, MFA 1984
Amie Oliver, MFA '84 was awarded a two month residency fellowship at the Cite Internationale des Arts in Paris during May and June of 2013. Prior to her departure to France, Oliver's solo exhibition Astral Garden will open at the Chroma Projects Art Laboratory in Charlottesville, VA on April 5. Work from this series was also included in Anarchistic Abstraction at The University of Mary Washington Galleries during the fall of 2013. Amie Oliver maintains a studio in Richmond, VA where she is a lecturer for graduate classes and workshops for Virginia Commonwealth University and the Visual Arts Center of Richmond.

Debra Clem Painting, BFA 1976
Debra Clem is a Professor of Fine Arts at Indiana University Southeast, located in New Albany, Indiana in the metro Louisville area. She studied at Bowling Green State University where she was awarded a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Debra received a graduate assistantship to the Pennsylvania State University, earning a Master of Fine Arts degree from that institution. She has shown her paintings in more than 60 group, invitational, and solo exhibitions and has been awarded five individual artist grants from the Kentucky Foundation for Women. Debra received an Al Smith Fellowship, the highest individual award given to artists from the state of Kentucky and has been awarded fellowships to the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and the Vermont Studio Center. She is a member of Indiana University's FACET (Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching). Debra was the recipient of IU Southeast's Distinguished Research and Creativity Award in 2006. Debra grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and currently lives in Louisville, Kentucky. Her email address is: dclem@ius.edu

Emily Christoff Drawing, BFA 1988
After Graduation with my BFA in 1988, I was hired as the park manager for Kaman's Art Shoppes at Busch Gardens, Virginia. My job included teaching drawing and managing the portrait and caricature operation for about 40 artists. I eventually became the national portrait trainer for the company and wrote their national portrait training guide which is still in use in many amusement parks all over the country. I eventually left the company to be a self-employed studio artist. I supported myself and my kids by drawing portraits from life and from photos as well as teaching art privately. I am currently the artist in residence at the Historic Powhatan Resort in Williamsburg Virginia. I draw portraits, create and teach all of their adult and children's art classes. I hope to return to BGSU to get my masters in Fine Art in the near future so that I am able to advance my career as a professional artist and art teacher.

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